About Me and My Cancer Story

Let’s face it, cancer can be scary. When you hear the ‘C’ word, fear is often the first feeling to well up from deep inside. You wonder if you’ll ever be okay again.

This was my experience when at 28, I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma of the eye in 2008. I was almost overwhelmed by thoughts of the future, my future.

I say ‘almost’ because after I spent three days researching my cancer online, my husband wisely locked away my laptop and gently suggested I take a deep breath and think about what I really needed.

And what I needed was perspective; it felt as if nothing was in my control any more, like my cancer had a life of its own, one that was now bigger than mine.

Listen to yourself

But I did regain control. And here’s how I did it.

I listened to my intuition. Returning to my usual lifestyle made no sense. I realised, too, that while there was no way of knowing whether my consultant was making the right decisions, I could have some control over what I put in my mouth – the fuel that feeds my body, my brain and yes, even (back then) my cancer.

Call it what you like – my logical Swiss genes, my ‘inner voice’ – but I understood instinctively that whatever the conventional medical approach, combining it with targeted nutrition based on reliable scientific evidence would result in me being as well as I could ever hope to be, cancer or no cancer. And so one month after completing radiotherapy, I started studying nutritional therapy.

I’ve been on a steep learning curve ever since – in so many ways! I experienced a relapse shortly after the birth of my first baby, nearly lost my eyesight (but got it back) and have since been witness to many health miracles in both myself and my dear clients.

Combining the Orthodox and the Alternative

Today I’m no longer a banker with an eye tumour, but a practicing nutritional therapist (and busy mother) who helps others and shares her cancer story. By integrating the best elements of both complementary and orthodox medicine, I have achieved amazing results and “beaten the statistics”. I know that this isn’t just down to coincidence or hard work. A growing body of evidence demonstrates how well cancer patients do when they complement their treatments with the natural yet evidence-based approaches I use.

Keeping it Real

My support programmes are realistic, too. With any illness, life is too short to be feeling guilt about ‘not doing enough’. I understand the constraints that daily life inevitably imposes – work, family, friends. Those constraints vary from person to person. And no matter how good it is, if a nutritional programme isn’t integrated into your life, it won’t succeed as well as it should. So, no guilt, just a gradual but steady process of putting science into practice.

These days, by the way, I’m healthier than ever. I now know for certain that when you take some, even if in small steps at first, the feeling of being ‘on the case’ when it comes to your health, well…….. let’s just say that unlike cancer, it’s unbeatable.

About Me and My Cancer Story

So, I had my eye check up last week in the hospital. For the past 3 years or so, my check ups had reduced to only one every 6 months- which was a welcome change to the 6-weekly ones I had during the "acute phase" for a few years after my ...

My visit to Nutrition Choices was life changing. Within a few days of my new eating plan I felt better and any previous symptoms began to disappear, most noticeably an increase in energy levels and loss of fatigues. Patricia supplied me with a realistic plan always working within my limits and capabilities. I was always supported and encouraged throughout the process right up to my follow up appointment.

Most of all my dietary issues were identified and addressed, the result is a change in diet which has had a hugely positive impact on my day life. I would highly recommended Nutritional Choices to anyone!

About Patricia Daly

Patricia Daly is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist (BA Hons, dipNT, mBANT, mNTOI) based in Dublin, Ireland. Following her cancer diagnosis, she left her corporate career and started studying nutrition, specialising in the area of Integrative Cancer Care. As a Swiss native, she regularly attends training courses in Switzerland/ Germany, including at the renowned Tumor Biology Center in Freiburg, Germany. Read More…